Our Absolute Favorite Carbon Steel Frying Pan Is 30% Off Right Now

May 28, 2023

Nothing sticks to it.

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Amazon

A frying pan is a vital piece of cookware, ideal for searing, sautéing, and frying meats and vegetables. Cast iron skillets are a familiar, solid choice, but can be hard to maneuver due to their weight. Enter carbon steel. A sibling to cast iron and just as much of a workhorse, carbon steel is lighter in weight, heats quickly, and is durable.

But not every carbon steel pan is created equal. We tested out nine options from highly regarded brands to determine their functionality, including if they conducted heat evenly, their versatility, nonstick capability, and how easy they were to maneuver and clean. One pan stood out from the rest: Merten & Stock's 12-inch skillet, and right now it is 30% off at Amazon.

Amazon

To buy: Merten & Storck 12-Inch Carbon Steel Fry Pan, $35 (originally $50) at amazon.com

This carbon steel fry pan has 12 inches of cooking space and is safe to throw in ovens up to 600°F. It is lightweight, only 3 ½ pounds, making it easier to move around than cast iron pans, which typically weigh about 8 ½ pounds. The material heats up quickly and retains the heat well, so you spend less time cooking and get your meal on the table quicker.

The pan comes pre-seasoned, and like cast iron, the more you use it, the more nonstick it becomes. Go ahead and grab that metal spatula out of the drawer, as this pan is tough — you won't scratch it. And it doesn't matter what type of stove you have either, as the frying pan is compatible with all of them: electric, gas, and induction.

We were impressed with this pan. During our cooking tests, there was no need to add extra oil or butter, as we discovered that food did not stick to the surface at all. What's more, it cooked food beautifully. Chicken thighs were seared to golden perfection, the skillet cookie we made was moist and chewy, and there were no remnants left in the pan from the eggs we scrambled.

We found cleaning this pan was effortless with hot water. In fact, we were tempted to clean it with a dry cloth since there wasn't any food stuck to the pan.

Of all the pans we tried, this one from Merten & Storck earned the top marks for being nonstick, lightweight, easy-to-clean, and highly durable. Snag it right now while it's only $35 at Amazon; once you use it, you’ll find yourself reaching for it again and again.

At the time of publishing the price was $35.